Creatures of the Fallen Sun There are many creatures unique to the Outer Continent, Fallen Sun. This is a list of some of the more commonly encountered species, all of which are ordinary animals rather than magical creatures. They may be suitable for animal companions, familiars or as an alternate form for nai-nek-chai shapechangers as well as encounters. Most of the creatures here also symbolise an aspect of the All-Seeing One, the god of the neo-a'Keshamite kingdoms. Denga Dengas are shaggy-maned wild dog-like creatures that roam the desert and plains in large packs. Their colouration varies from tan to dark brown. They are pack hunters and will gang up to bring down a larger creature, but are also happy to feed as a scavengers. Some have been semi-domesticated but they are voracious and unpredictable creatures. Use hyena stats. Ding Lizard The ding lizard is a reptile about the size of a medium dog, somewhat gecko-like in appearance but with a short fat tail covered in what appear to be small hairs or needles. These "hairs" are hollow and allow the ding lizard to emit a noxious cloud of vapour to aid its escape. The ura seem to be immune to the naueseating effects of ding vapour, and often use ding lizards as guard animals, mounts or as a food source. Ding Lizard Small Animal Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp) Initiative: +0 Speed: 20 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft. Armor Class: 13 (+1 size, +2 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-6 Attack: Bite -1 (1d3-2) Full Attack Bite -1 (1d3-2) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Noxious gas Special Qualities: Low-light vision Saves: Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1 Abilities: Str 6 (-2), Dex 10 (+0), Con 12 (+1), Int 2 (-4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 6 (-2) Skills: Climb +10, Spot +9, Listen +3 Feats: Alertness Environment: Sandy or rocky desert Organization: Solitary, pair or pack (3-12) Challenge Rating: 1/2 Advancement: 2-3 HD (Small) Combat: Ding lizards are not naturally aggressive, tending to emit their noxious vapour and flee if startled. Trained ura mounts are less skittish but can rarely be trained to attack. Noxious Gas (Ex): Once per day, a ding lizard can release noxious vapour from its tail spines as a move action. The effect is the same as a stinking cloud spell that persists for 1d4 rounds in calm conditions. The save DC is 11 (Con-based). Ura are immune to the effects of a ding lizard's gas. Skills: Ding lizards have a +8 racial bonus to Climb checks and may always Take 10 even when rushed or threatened. They use their Dex modifier instead of Str. They also gain a +4 racial bonus to Spot checks due to their all-round field of vision. Ghelb Ghelb are radially symmetrical arachnids, looking a bit like a cross between a feathery starfish and a harvestman spider. Their body contains a single heat-sensitive eye and a needle-like mouth part. These creatures hide in rocky crevices, caves and on the underside of plant leaves where they leap out at prey, attaching with their five legs and draining blood through their mouth-part. Ghelb Tiny Vermin Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp) Initiative: +7 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft. Armor Class: 15 (+2 size, +3 Dex), touch 15, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-9 (+3 when attached) Attack: Claw +5 (grapple) Full Attack 5 Claws +5 (grapple) plus bite +3 (blood drain) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Blood drain, improved grab, pounce Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., vermin traits Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +2 Abilities: Str 6 (-2), Dex 17 (+3), Con 11 (+0), Int -, Wis 14 (+2), Cha 10 (+0) Skills: Climb +11, Hide +11 Feats: Improved Initiative*, Multiattack, Weapon Finesse* Environment: Rocky desert Organization: Solitary, pair, cluster (2-12) or swarm (100-200) Challenge Rating: 1 Advancement: 2-4 HD (Small) Combat: Ghelb are ambush-hunters, pouncing from hiding. If they miss their prey on the first attack they usually flee back into hiding for a second attempt, but if multiple ghelb are encountered they will attack relentlessly in search of blood. Blood Drain (Ex): An attached ghelb drains blood, causing 1d4 Constitution damage per round that it starts attached to the victim. A ghelb detaches once it has drained 4 points on Constitution or the victim dies, whichever comes first. Improved Grab (Ex): A ghelb that hits with one of its legs can attempt an immediate grapple attack. Ghelb are notoriously difficult to dislodge and have a +12 racial bonus to grapple checks once they have attached. A ghelb that begins its turn grappling an opponent may make an automatic drain attempt. Removing an attached ghelb requires a successful pin attempt. Pounce (Ex): A ghelb may make a full attack at the end of a charge, including a bite attack. Skills: Ghelb have a +8 racial bonus to Climb checks and may always Take 10 even when rushed or threatened. They use their Dex modifier instead of Str. Merka Merka are six-legged carnivorous reptiles that typically grow to about 12 ft. in length. A merka is fairly slow-moving but is an accomplished ambush hunter. The colouration of the merka blends in well with sandy terrain, and they have a long tongue that secretes a paralytic saliva which they can fire at prey. Merka will slowly pursue a poisoned prey until it succumbs, at which point they devour it, still alive. Merka Large Animal Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp) Initiative: +6 Speed: 20 ft. Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+9 Attack: Tongue +5 ranged touch (poison) or bite -1 (1d6+1) Full Attack Tongue +5 ranged touch (poison) or bite -1 (1d6+1) Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Poison, tongue Special Qualities: Low-light vision Saves: Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +2 Abilities: Str 14 (+2), Dex 14 (+2), Con 16 (+3), Int 2 (-4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 10 (+0) Skills: Hide +4, Spot +3 Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (tongue) Environment: Sandy desert Organization: Solitary, pair, pack (1-4) Challenge Rating: 3 Advancement: 5-8 HD (Large), 9-12 HD (Huge) Combat: Merka are lazy hunters, preferring to poison prey and let that do the work. Their bites are fairly ineffective and are not normally used on prey that has not already been weakened by their poison. Poison (Ex): Contact, tongue attack. Merka poison is slower acting than most poisons. It causes 1d6 Dexterity damage instantly, but further losses are on a daily basis, more like a disease. Victims must make a new Fortitude save each day or take a further 1d6 Dex damage. Two successive saves are needed to stop the process completely. Fortitude DC 15 (Constitution-based). Tongue (Ex): A merka can fire its tongue up to a range of 20 ft. (no range increments). This deals no damage but affects the target with its poisonous saliva. The tongue is retracted instantly after an attack. Mooloo These are also known as mulu or mlu, depending on regional dialects. Imperial explorers nicknamed them manyphants. A mooloo is a large docile creature weighing about a ton, with six stumpy feet supporting a grey ovoid body. Mooloo have no head, as such, but a broad slobbery mouth marks the front end. This is surmounted by two prehensile trunks, each about 6 ft. long. Mooloo have four slightly shorter trunks, two on each side. Each of its six trunks is surmounted by a small dark eye, although mooloo have quite poor visual sense. Their trunks give them a very good combination of tactile and olfactory ability, however, which enables them to perceive their surroundings surprisingly well. Mooloo can easily be domesticated, and fitted with riding platforms, although riders may have to contend with being affectionately covered in dribble and mucus as the mooloo likes to maintain contact with its rider through its trunks. Mooloo are sociable and loyal, and are fond of the fruit of the temir tree (see sidebar). Larger examples of mooloo, up to 10 ft. tall and weighing several tons can be found only on the mainland of Fallen Sun, often known as omfloo. Mooloo Large Animal Hit Dice: 6d8+27 (54 hp) Initiative: +0 Speed: 30 ft. (cannot run) Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +6 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 15 Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+13 Attack: Trunk slam +3 (1d6+2) Full Attack 2 trunk slams +3 (1d6+2) Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. Special Attacks: Trample (1d6+7) Special Qualities: Blindsight 30 ft., scent Saves: Fort +11, Ref +2, Will +3 Abilities: Str 20 (+5), Dex 10 (+0), Con 18 (+4), Int 2 (-4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 4 (-3) Skills: Listen +8 Feats: Endurance, Great Fortitude, Toughness Environment: Any warm (domesticated) Organization: Solitary, pair, herd (4-24) Challenge Rating: 3 Advancement: 7-12 HD (Large), 13-24 HD (Huge) Combat: Mooloo are not violent by nature, and are more likely to run away if startled. In extreme circumstances they can deliver ringing blows with their trunks - up to two trunks may be used against any one opponent, but they can do this on three sides for six trunk attacks in total. Trample (Ex): Reflex DC 18 for half damage (Strength based). Rauk The rauk is also known as the stone, or granite, tortoise. It is an ordinary tortoise except for the fact that its shell is extremely well camouflaged as a small stone or boulder, and is almost as hard as one. Their eggs are also camouflaged as stones, although they are softer. Rauk are harmless creatures but some Fallen Sun magicians are known to take them as familiars. A magician with a rauk familiar may choose one skill that he is trained in. From now on, he may always Take 10 in this skill, even if rushed or threatened. Even a skill that does not normally allow Taking 10 may be selected. Slow and steady... Rauk Tiny Animal Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp) Initiative: +0 Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares) Armor Class: 16 (+2 size, -2 Dex, +6 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 16 Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-11 Attack: None Full Attack None Space/Reach: 1 ft./1 ft. Special Attacks: None Special Qualities: Low-light vision Saves: Fort +2, Ref -2, Will +1 Abilities: Str 4 (-3), Dex 6 (-2), Con 10 (+0), Int 2 (-4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 10 (+0) Skills: Hide +10 (+20 in stony area) Feats: Endurance Environment: Rocky desert Organization: Solitary or pair Challenge Rating: 1/8 Advancement: - Combat: Rauk have no effective attacks. Skills: Stationary rauk have a +10 racial bonus to Hide checks amongst rocks and stones. Spiral Snake Also known as the birebore, these snakes are able to burrow through soil and sand almost like a drill. They are nocturnal hunters and scourges of the ura burrows. Birebores use the standard viper snake statistics except that they have a burrow speed rather than a swim speed (with the same rate). There are three common types of birebore. Black birebores are the smallest, with the deadliest poison (They are sometimes known as the "Downward Spiral"). Use Small viper snake statistics, except that their poison has a save DC of 15 (+4 racial bonus) and causes 2d6 Con secondary damage. Add 1 to the Challenge Rating. Green birebores are not poisonous, and live on a diet of insects. Use Medium viper snake, but remove poison ability. Reduce CR by 2. Ivory birebores are the largest, but only the females are poisonous. Use Large viper snake statistics. Males have no poison attack, so reduce CR by 2. Vur Ox Known locally only as vur (the "oxen" part was added by Imperial explorers), vur oxen are the most common form of herd animal found on Fallen Sun, used particularly by the Imbata people. Like a smallish water buffalo, vur oxen come in a variety of breeds signified by hide colour and horn-shape, but all use the same basic statistics. The thicker crest of hair on the ridge of their spine can be woven into a light, breathable fabric and their meat is tasty with spicy overtones. Their milk makes a fine cheese and can be turned into an alcoholic drink. Use mule statistics, except that a vur ox has a gore attack, using secondary attack scores (-1 attack, 1d8+1 damage) instead of a hoof attack. (c) 2010 The Creative Conclave. Contact us.

Links Fallen Sun (Overview) The All-Seeing One The Empire of Splendour The Imbata Nai-Nek-Chai Ura Discuss this article The Temir Tree Known as the "Tree of Life" in a'Keshamite and Imbata mythology, the temir is a tall palm-like tree ubiquitous to life in Fallen Sun. Its outer bark is thin and papery, used for writing material. The next layer is hard and woody, used for timber, and the inner core of a temir trunk is composed of fibrous matter which can be woven into anything from hard-wearing coir matting to delicate clothing. The leaves of the temir are broad with peripheral spines. Leaves are used for roofing and shade whilst the spines are used as sewing needles. The flowers of the temir can be used for perfumes, and the wide variety of sub-species produce different colours that can be used as dyes. The flowers are also used in medicines. The fruit of the temir is the size of a melon, but densely packed with seeds, like a pomegranate. The flesh is succulent and a favoured delicacy, also pressed and fermented. The seeds can be ground into a flour that is used as the basis for a type of bread eaten everywhere on Fallen Sun. The dried husks of the temir fruit can be used as water storage gourds, or as percussion instruments. Finally, the tree is often tapped for its sap which provides a nutritious drinkm most of the time, but yields rubber when the plant is in flower.